United States
Student Openly Wears Pistol at Utah University, Insists He Has the Right
Fox News (USA)
9 March 2010
OREM, Utah - A Utah Valley University student says he is within his rights openly displaying a gun while carrying a concealed gun permit, even while on campus. And that is what student Nick Moyes did Friday morning when he was stopped by the campus police and was told to put the gun away. As president of UVU's Republican Club, Moyes was hanging posters for an event when he was detained. "We are allowed to open carry on... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Tiny Ohio Town Faces Lawsuit for Excluding Gun Shop, Banning Guns
Vindicator (Ohio)
9 March 2010
CAMPBELL, California - Council is reconsidering a citywide gun-sales ban after a lawsuit threat. Law director Mark Kolmacic told city council at its caucus meeting last week that a group called Ohioans for Concealed Carry has threatened a lawsuit over the ban, which stemmed from an effort by a Hubbard man to open a gun-repair shop on property he owns at 120 Robinson Road. Kolmacic would not elaborate after the meeting,... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
160 Civil Servants Among 1300 Violators of Philippine Election Gun Ban
ABS-CBN News (Manila)
8 March 2010
MANILA - The Philippine National Police on Monday said a total of 160 government employees have violated a nationwide gun ban since it was implemented last January 10. A PNP report said law enforcers have arrested a total of 1,294 gun ban violators including 1,134 civilians and 160 government employees. Seized during the period were 1,117 firearms, 798 airguns/replicas, 304 bladed weapons and 218 grenades or explosives.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Owners Flaunting Weapons in Public 'Expose Rifts' in US Gun Lobby
New York Times
8 March 2010
For years, being able to carry a concealed handgun has been a sacred right for many gun enthusiasts. In defending it, Charlton Heston, the actor and former president of the National Rifle Association, used to say that the flock is safer when the wolves cannot tell the difference between the lions and the lambs. But a grass-roots effort among some gun rights advocates is shifting attention to a different goal: exercising the right... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pro-gun Lobby Stirs It Up At Starbucks, Obama Fails to Deliver Gun Control
Sunday Times (UK)
8 March 2010
WASHINGTON - It is not exactly Gunfight at the OK Corral -- more like Lattes at High Noon -- but the Starbucks coffee chain has become an unlikely battleground for US gun owners campaigning to carry their weapons openly in public. Last Thursday morning, Jim Snyder walked into a Starbucks cafe in Virginia and ordered a tall hot chocolate without cream. On his left hip was his mobile phone. On his right hip was a semi-automatic Browning... ( gunpolicy.org )
Mexico,United States
Tennessee Gun Collector, Drug Dealer Blows Whistle on US-Mexico Trade
Scripps Howard News Service (USA)
8 March 2010
The U.S. boss of a violent Mexican drug cartel who admitted ordering a hit on someone who ran afoul of him has been a busy man since authorities nabbed him and 34 kilograms of his cocaine at the border. He's traveled to Williamsport, Pa., to accompany his son on a Little League baseball trip. He's attended his sister's graduation from Texas State University in San Marcos, Texas. He's vacationed with his family in Panama City, Fla.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Owner Fired Shots, Visited Texas Wal-Mart, Officers Shot Him Dead
Associated Press
7 March 2010
COMMERCE, Texas - A man walked into a Walmart in Texas carrying at least two guns before engaging in a shootout with police outside the store, authorities said. The man was killed and an off-duty officer in the store who had tried to stop him was injured. The incident in the east Texas city of Commerce began when police received a call of shots being fired from a car in nearby Greenville, about 50 miles northeast of Dallas, said... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Supreme Court Weighs, Could Weaken US State, Local Gun Control Laws
San Francisco Chronicle
7 March 2010
WASHINGTON - Gun-control advocates think, if not pray, they can win by losing when the Supreme Court decides whether the constitutional right to possess guns serves as a check on state and local regulation of firearms. The justices will be deciding whether the Second Amendment - like much of the rest of the Bill of Rights - applies to states as well as the federal government. It's widely believed they will say it does. But... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Kills Attempt to Reverse One-handgun-a-month Limit on Sales
Washington Post
5 March 2010
A Virginia Senate panel designed to eliminate House gun rights proposals went about its work efficiently Thursday, killing an attempted repeal of the state's 17-year-old ban on buying more than one handgun a month and several other bills. The Senate Courts of Justice special subcommittee, which was composed of four Democrats and one Republican, voted 4 to 1 along party lines to table the gun-a-month repeal sponsored by Del. L. Scott... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pentagon Police Officers Shot, Gunman Killed in State with 'Lax Gun Law'
New York Times
4 March 2010
WASHINGTON -- Two police officers at the Pentagon were wounded Thursday evening when a man walked up to the entrance of the complex's subway station and, without a word, opened fire on them, Pentagon officials said. Police officers quickly returned fire, fatally shooting the gunman after hitting him once in the head and once in the shoulder. The gunman was identified as John Patrick Bedell, 36, according to a police official here... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Bill Would Stop Florida Using Hidden Handgun Money for Public Projects
Associated Press
3 March 2010
TALLAHASSEE, Florida - The Florida Senate has passed a bill that will force lawmakers to keep their hands off a trust fund that covers the costs of the state's concealed weapons permitting program. The bill (SB 1158), a top priority for the National Rifle Association, passed Tuesday. It now goes to the House where a similar measure (HB 651) has cleared committee and awaits floor action. The Legislature recently has been... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Effort to Tighten Minnesota's Gun Show Law Getting Folks Riled Up
Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St Paul)
3 March 2010
From Virginia to Arizona, federal and state gun laws are loosening everywhere from national parks to Amtrak trains. But in St. Paul, a proposal that would send Minnesota in the opposite direction is headed toward its first hearing Friday -- a bill requiring background checks on the purchaser of any firearm sold at a gun show. The proposal pits its DFL sponsor, St. Paul Rep. Michael Paymar, against the mighty arsenal of... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Lobby Overreacts, Objects to Pennsylvania 'No Shotguns at Work' Rule
Erie Times-News (Pennsylvania), Editorial
3 March 2010
In Albion, an issue that should have been confined to the local level has escalated into a skirmish involving the National Rifle Association. Gun owners are quick to act when they fear their Second Amendment rights are at risk, but in the Albion example, protesters are misfiring. As Tim Hahn reported on Feb. 6, Jeff Paul, 57, was cited by Albion police in November for disorderly conduct. Police say that Paul, chief operator... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Nurse Shot 4 Times by 85yr-old Heart Patient in Connecticut Hospital
Associated Press
3 March 2010
HARTFORD, Connecticut - Investigators are looking into an elderly heart patient's possible "psychiatric issues" after he allegedly tucked a revolver into the folds of his hospital gown and shot a nursing supervisor who tried to wrest the gun away. The 85-year-old patient, Stanley Lupienski, shot himself once in the leg during the scuffle in Danbury Hospital's cardiac unit Tuesday, police said. He remained under guard Wednesday in... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
85yr-old Patient Pulls Gun, Shoots Nurse, Himself in Connecticut Hospital
Associated Press
2 March 2010
DANBURRY, Connecticut - Police say an 85-year-old patient shot and wounded a nursing supervisor in a Connecticut hospital. They say the nurse suffered non-life-threatening wounds while trying to subdue the patient Tuesday afternoon. They say he was rushed to the emergency unit for treatment. Police say the man pulled a gun after the nurse went in to treat him and shot the victim three times after he tried to grab the weapon.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
All US Gun Laws Could Be in Jeopardy, Depending on High Court Case
National Public Radio (USA), Transcript
2 March 2010
The U.S. Supreme Court steps back onto the firing range, so to speak, as it takes up the controversial question of gun rights Tuesday. At issue is whether the Second Amendment right to bear arms puts constitutional limits on state and local laws as well as federal laws. For the first 100 years of America's history, the Bill of Rights -- protecting rights of free speech and religion, among others -- limited only what the federal... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Another Landmark Constitutional Duel Over Right to Bear Guns in America
Wall Street Journal
2 March 2010
The Supreme Court today is the scene of a Constitutional duel in a case that will decide if the Second Amendment's guarantee of an individual right to bear arms applies to the states. The answer will determine whether the Court's landmark 2008 decision in District of Columbia v. Heller is a hollow legal anomaly, or if it extends nationwide. In McDonald v. Chicago, the Justices will consider whether the Windy City's ban on handguns... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Black Chicago Supreme Court Plaintiff 'Pawn of Wealthy White Gun Nuts'?
Chicago Sun-Times
2 March 2010
Otis McDonald doesn't care what you think. You can accuse the black inner-city grandfather of betraying Chicago neighborhoods overrun by thugs with guns. Go ahead, call him a pawn of wealthy, white gun-nuts suing to lift the city's handgun ban. But the 76-year-old Morgan Park man who has become the face of one of the most important Second Amendment lawsuits in history wants you to know this: He is not a "showpiece"... ( gunpolicy.org )
Netherlands
Gang Spotted Loitering at Amsterdam Airport, Loaded Handgun Seized
Radio Netherlands
2 March 2010
Dutch border police say a 30-year-old man carrying a loaded gun was arrested at Amsterdam Schiphol airport on Monday. Two other men, aged 24 and 26 and thought to be accomplices, were also detained. The three men were reportedly loitering in the airport's shopping zone and behaving suspiciously. Their movements were first followed on CCTV, then a special observation team shadowed them for a while. Finally the police decided to take... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Government Has No Right to Deny Divine Right of US Gun Ownership
Augusta Chronicle (Georgia), Editorial
2 March 2010
In the comedy Roxanne , Steve Martin is a fire chief of an incompetent department that's as likely to start a fire as put one out. "I have a dream," he tells the men after dousing one of their own little fires. "It's not a big dream, it's just a little dream. My dream -- and I hope you don't find this too crazy -- is that I would like the people of this community to feel that if, God forbid, there were a fire, calling the fire department... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
High Court Justices Suggest They May Overturn More US Gun Control Laws
Associated Press
2 March 2010
WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court suggested Tuesday it will strike down U.S. cities' outright bans on handguns, a ruling that could establish a nationwide ownership right fervently sought by gun advocates. But the justices indicated less severe limits could survive, continuing disputes over the "right to keep and bear arms." Chicago area residents who want handguns for protection in their homes are asking the court to extend its 2008... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Starbucks: Allowing American Customers to Wear Guns Is Just Business
Associated Press
2 March 2010
SEATTLE -- Coffee chain Starbucks said Wednesday it's sticking to its policy of letting customers carry guns where it's legal and is asking not to be put in the middle of a larger gun-control debate. The company's statement, issued Wednesday, stems from recent campaign by some gun owners, who have walked into Starbucks and other businesses to test state laws that allow gun owners to carry weapons openly in public places. Now,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Supreme Court Poised to Rule on Chicago's Longstanding Handgun Ban
ABC News (USA)
2 March 2010
Otis McDonald, 76, is afraid for his life in his crime-saturated Chicago neighborhood and he is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn his city's strict ban on handguns in the home. "In my home, this is the only time I worry," McDonald said. "There's more guns coming into this city than the police can take away from them. So if I've got a gun, and if others have guns in their homes to protect themselves, then that's one thing... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Allows Hidden Handguns in Bars - As Long As Owners Don't Drink
Washington Post, Blog
2 March 2010
Gun-rights supporters had reason to cheer Tuesday after the Virginia General Assembly gave final approval to a bill allowing concealed weapons permit holders to enter restaurants that serve alcohol. Two other bills friendly to gun owners also won final approval. On a day when the U.S. Supreme Court was hearing perhaps the most widely followed Second Amendment case in years, Virginia's House of Delegates gave final passage to a Senate... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Democrats Aim to Quash Gun Lobby Bills in 'Gun-running State'
Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia)
2 March 2010
A number of House of Delegates bills that would make it easier to purchase, carry and use guns have been routed to a newly created Senate subcommittee loaded with legislators opposed to expanding gun rights. Sen. Henry L. Marsh III, D-Richmond, chairman of the Democrat-controlled Senate Courts of Justice Committee, announced the shift. The new panel appears to be an attempt to defeat firearms legislation that would stand... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Chicago Handgun Ban Presents Quandary for US Supreme Court Justices
Washington Post
1 March 2010
As a member of the Junior ROTC, teenager Antonin Scalia toted his rifle on the subway ride back and forth to Queens. As a hunter, he speaks lyrically of stalking wild turkeys. And as a justice, he may have reached the pinnacle of his more than two decades on the Supreme Court when he wrote the majority opinion that said the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to own a firearm. But when the justices on Tuesday confront... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Right of Americans to Protect Themselves Against Other People's Guns
New York Times, Editorial
1 March 2010
Two years ago, the Supreme Court struck down parts of the District of Columbia's gun-control law. On Tuesday, the court will consider whether that decision should apply everywhere in the country, not just in the federal territory of the nation's capital. We disagreed strongly with the 2008 decision, which took an expansive and aggressive view of the right to bear arms. But there is an even broader issue at stake in the new case:... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Campaign Grows as More US Gun Owners Flaunt Handguns in Starbucks
Associated Press
28 February 2010
Dale Welch recently walked into a Starbucks in Virginia, handgun strapped to his waist, and ordered a banana Frappuccino with a cinnamon bun. He says the firearm drew a double-take from at least one customer, but not a peep from the baristas. Welch's foray into the coffeehouse was part of an effort by some gun owners to exercise and advertise their rights in states that allow people to openly carry firearms. Even in some... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Lobbyists Packing Handguns Startle San Francisco Beachgoers
Associated Press
28 February 2010
SAN FRANCISCO, California - Men and women, armed with handguns strapped to their sides in holsters, fanned out across San Francisco's Baker Beach to help pick up trash and to increase awareness of gun-owners' rights. Robert Montgomery, 39, of San Jose, said he joined in the event Saturday to get out the message that "it's not just criminals who carry guns." Montgomery also wore a miniature video camera and recorded audio... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Ohio Gun Owners Push Obama Fear Factor, Hidden Handgun Permits Soar
Cleveland Plain Dealer (Ohio)
27 February 2010
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Ohio issued a record 56,691 concealed handgun licenses in 2009, shattering the previous one-year high of 45,497 set in 2004, according to the state attorney general's office. That means Ohio is now approaching 200,000 concealed permits issued since 2004, when the state started handing out licenses to qualified people. And those for and against tougher gun control laws agree the smoking gun for the 2009... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Supreme Court Decision Could Further Weaken Gun Laws Across America
USA Today
26 February 2010
WASHINGTON -- In 2008, when national gun rights advocates were looking for residents to challenge Chicago's ban on handguns, Otis McDonald was in effect looking for them. McDonald, 76, says he had seen his neighborhood on the far South Side of Chicago turn from bad to worse over the years with "gangbangers and drug dealers." "My wife and I are here alone all the time now," says McDonald, a retired maintenance engineer, who with... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Lobby Targets California Sheriff's Hidden Handgun Permit Policy
Orange County Register (California), Blog
25 February 2010
Sheriff Sandra Hutchens prompted guffaws from some Second Amendment stalwarts when she said at a Feb. 9 candidate forum that she's approved 90 percent of applications for concealed weapons permits. In fact, she's significantly tightened distribution criteria. There are 22 percent fewer CCW permits than when Hutchens was appointed to the job in 2008. And most permits she's approved come with restrictions absent from permits issued... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Maine Plans to Buck New Federal Rule Allowing Guns in National Parks
Associated Press
25 February 2010
AUGUSTA, Maine -- Lawmakers in Maine, home to one of the nation's most-visited national parks, are considering whether to override a new federal law that allows guns in the sanctuaries. A law that took effect Monday lets licensed gun owners take firearms into national parks and wildlife refuges - provided state law doesn't say otherwise. No states have laws that supersede the new policy, officials say. The Maine bill would... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Utah Aims to Immunise Businesses Where a Hidden Handgun Owner Kills
Deseret News (Utah)
25 February 2010
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah -- Lawmakers are seeking to encourage businesses to allow concealed weapons on their property. Passed by a House committee Thursday, HB380, which may be read online at le.utah.gov/~2010/htmdoc/hbillhtm/HB0380.htm, would grant businesses immunity from civil and criminal charges if a gun is fired on their property by a concealed-firearm permit holder. Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, said many businesses... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Fearing Imagined Obama Agenda, US States Push to Loosen Gun Laws
New York Times
24 February 2010
When President Obama took office, gun rights advocates sounded the alarm, warning that he intended to strip them of their arms and ammunition. And yet the opposite is happening. Mr. Obama has been largely silent on the issue while states are engaged in a new and largely successful push for expanded gun rights, even passing measures that have been rejected in the past. In Virginia, the General Assembly approved a bill last... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Laws Loosen in US, Even as Gun Policy Changes Little Under Obama
CBS News (USA) / Political Hotsheet, Blog
24 February 2010
Gun rights advocates are pushing for a slew of new laws in numerous states to loosen gun control, the New York Times reports, in anticipation of stricter gun control laws from the Obama administration. Those policies, however, have yet to materialize. Because he campaigned on promises to make the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent, to close the loophole that allows unlicensed dealers to sell firearms at gun shows without... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Colorado Sheriff Says He'll Undermine University's Hidden Handgun Ban
Colorado Springs Gazette, Editorial
23 February 2010
The Colorado State University Board of Governors voted unanimously Tuesday to place students at both of its campuses in harm's way with a sweeping weapons ban law-abiding citizens will obey and criminals will ignore. Larimer County Sheriff James Alderden, outraged by the ban, told The Gazette's opinion department he will undermine it in the interest of student safety. CSU-Fort Collins Police Chief Wendy Rich-Goldsmith,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Current Laws Not Stopping Illegal Gun Epidemic in East Bay, California
San Francisco Chronicle, Column
23 February 2010
Since the start of the year, Oakland police have confiscated more than 200 illegal guns during routine traffic stops and planned police arrests. In Richmond, police seized more than 25 guns in vehicles during routine traffic stops in January alone. Illegal guns have become an epidemic problem in the East Bay. It seems we've become numb to the constant gun violence and remain unfazed when the gunman turns out to be too young... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Carrying Man in New Hampshire Restaurant Planned Mass Killing
Associated Press
23 February 2010
CONCORD, New Hampshire - Authorities say a New Hampshire man who left a restaurant without paying his $18 bill had a loaded gun and told them he planned to kill as many patrons as he could, then himself. Police say they stopped the man after getting a call from the Barley House restaurant Monday. An officer found a 9mm handgun with a round in the chamber and 14 more rounds loaded in the weapon in the man's pocket. The man... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Colorado University Embroiled in Debate Over Hidden Handguns in Class
National Public Radio (USA), Transcript
22 February 2010
Across the U.S., most public universities ban students and faculty from carrying concealed handguns on campus. Colorado State University has, up until now, been one of the few exceptions to this rule. But now, campus leadership wants to change the policy, and that's not sitting well with students and local gun rights advocates. The university's board of directors voted to pass a ban on carrying concealed weapons last year. At a... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Guns Now Permitted But Not Necessarily Welcomed in US National Parks
Los Angeles Times
22 February 2010
A federal law taking effect Monday may alter the standard checklist for many Americans as they pack to visit their national parks: insect repellent, snacks, hiking boots ... double-barreled shotgun. Visitors now can pack heat in any national park from Gates of the Arctic to Everglades, provided they comply with the firearms laws of the park's home state, according to the new law that was passed as an amendment to credit-card legislation.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Libertarians Sue Washington DC for Right to Carry Hidden Handguns
Washington Post
21 February 2010
He was at the heart of the landmark Supreme Court case that took down the District's handgun ban. But before arriving at the range, he warns in a text message: "You will find I'm not the best shot." Once he fires a few rounds, however, it's clear that Tom G. Palmer is no novice, either. He lands a couple right in the torso of his human-shaped target. Then he aims at the target's head, misses once by a few inches, then hits twice.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New Law Pushed by US Gun Lobby Allows Loaded Guns In National Parks
Associated Press
19 February 2010
WASHINGTON - Loaded guns will be allowed in Yellowstone, the Grand Canyon and other national parks under a new law that takes effect Monday. The law lets licensed gun owners bring firearms into national parks and wildlife refuges as long as they are allowed by state law. It comes over the objections of gun-control advocates who fear it will lead to increased violence in national parks. The national parks law takes effect... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Some US Coffee Chains Ban Gun-toting Customers, Starbucks Trembles
New York Times, Editorial
19 February 2010
It looked like a casting call for a Sam Pekinpah shoot-'em-up: 100 or so gun enthusiasts showed up at the Buckhorn Grill in Walnut Creek, Calif., this month with revolvers strapped on their hips. "We're not politically involved," the restaurant manager declared as he agreed to serve the supporters of Open Carry, a group that goes around flaunting gun owners' right -- under a benighted California law -- to pack weapons in public. Four... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
If Virginia Lifts One-gun-a-month Pistol Sale Limit, Get Ready for Mayhem
Washington Post, Editorial
18 February 2010
In a rare moment of gun law sanity, Virginia enacted a bill 17 years ago limiting the purchase of handguns to one a month. Almost immediately, the numbers of guns traced to Virginia that were used in crimes in the Northeast, particularly in New York, dropped sharply. Now, thanks to Del. L. Scott Lingamfelter, a Prince William County Republican who is pushing to repeal the law, the Old Dominion may regain the dubious distinction of being... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Wyoming Lawmakers Move to Allow Hidden Handguns Without Permits
Associated Press
17 February 2010
Wyoming citizens could carry concealed handguns without needing a state permit under a bill that passed its first committee on Tuesday. The House Judiciary Committee voted 6-2 to recommend approval of House Bill 113 after a testimony from pro-gun groups and other supporters. "I bring the bill here today because I do believe it is our right not only under the United States Constitution, but under the Wyoming Constitution,"... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
868 Firearm Law Violators Charged So Far in Philippine Election Gun Ban
Asia Pulse / APU NewsWire (Philippines)
16 February 2010
Government authorities apprehended 28 new violators of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) imposed nationwide total gun ban on Monday. Reports from the National Election Monitoring and Action Center (NEMAC) showed that among the 28 latest gun ban violators were 25 civilians, one member of the Philippine National Police (PNP), a personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and one government employee. The arrested... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Slew of Pro-firearm Bills as Legislators Move to Relax Virginia Gun Laws
Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia)
16 February 2010
The Republican-dominated House of Delegates advanced a slew of Second Amendment-related bills yesterday. They ranged from a bill that would repeal the one-gun-a-month limit on handgun purchases, to shielding applicants for concealed-weapon permits, to protecting some Virginia-made guns and ammunition from potential federal regulation. In all, about a dozen gun bills cleared a preliminary hurdle in the House yesterday and... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Teenage Brothers Shot by Hooded Gunman in Packed California Church
San Francisco Chronicle
16 February 2010
Two teenage brothers who were shot in a Richmond church are cooperating with police to help identify and arrest three hooded men who burst into the packed service and opened fire, police said Monday. The brothers, 14 and 19, were shot in the leg and shoulder during the violent invasion that sent more than a hundred terrified worshipers ducking for cover Sunday at the New Gethsemane Church of God in Christ. "We know this... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia House Moves to Lift One-gun-a-month Limit on Dealer Gun Sales
Hampton Roads Daily Press (Virginia)
16 February 2010
RICHMOND, Virginia - The House of Delegates advanced legislation Monday that would repeal the state's one-handgun-per-month condition and exempt guns made and used in Virginia from federal firearms laws. The Republican-dominated chamber also set up a final vote on a bill that would block public access to concealed-carry permit records filed in local circuit courts. Final votes on all three measures will occur today, the House's... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Lawmakers Aim to Loosen Firearm Restrictions Even Further
Washington Post
16 February 2010
RICHMOND, Virginia - A little more than a year ago, Virginia gun owners joined millions of Americans who began stockpiling weapons for fear that Barack Obama would win the White House and push for new gun controls. Now that the former Illinois senator is president, the prophesied gun control measures have not come to pass, and Virginia's gun advocates are feeling almost giddy about their chances to loosen restrictions on buying... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Moves to Allow Guns in Bars, Scrap One-gun-a-month Sales Rule
Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia)
16 February 2010
The state Senate yesterday cleared the way for Virginians to be allowed to carry concealed guns in cars and bars. In a 22-18 vote, senators approved Senate Bill 334, which would allow people with concealed-gun permits to carry their firearms into restaurants that serve alcohol. Six Democrats joined 16 Republicans to pass the legislation, which had passed the General Assembly last year but was vetoed by then-Gov. Timothy... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Passes 20 New Bills to Relax Gun Laws, Promote Pistol Carrying
Associated Press
16 February 2010
RICHMOND, Virginia -- A flurry of bills to make it easier to buy and carry guns handily won the approval of lawmakers Tuesday. About 20 gun-related bills passed on the constitutional deadline for each chamber to pass its own legislative proposals. Most of the bills passed out of the gun-friendly House of Delegates, where they may face more scrutiny in the Democrat-controlled Senate. Bills approved Tuesday would repeal Virginia's... ( gunpolicy.org )
Bosnia & Herzegovina
Bosnia & Herzegovina Civilians Among 'Most Armed in the World'
SEESAC / Politika (Belgrade)
14 February 2010
SARAJEVO, Bosnia & Herzegovina -- According to the official information, at present 19% of BiH citizens are legally "armed", and 15% civilians are illegally armed. A survey conducted by UNDP in the past confirmed that there is around half a million of weapons in illegal civilian possession and that they are often used in incidents many of which have a fatal outcome, which is proved by the fact that "from the end of the war to 2003 in BiH... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New Mexico Moves to Allow Alcohol, Hidden Handgun Mix in Restaurants
ABC News (USA)
14 February 2010
SANTA FE, New Mexico - New Mexicans licensed to carry a concealed handgun could legally go into some restaurants that sell beer and wine under a bill approved by the House. The legislation, supported by the National Rifle Association, was approved Sunday on a 53-to-14 vote over the objections of some lawmakers who said liquor and guns don't mix. The Senate passed a similar bill Friday. Both chambers must pass the same version... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Park Rangers, Public Brace for Gun Ban Reversal in US National Parks
Tulsa World (Oklahoma)
14 February 2010
WASHINGTON -- Officials at Oklahoma's national parks and refuges are preparing for controversial new measures, sponsored by U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, that let visitors carry loaded guns. Approved last year as an amendment to a major credit-card reform bill, the provisions by the Oklahoma Republican take effect Feb. 22. Previous regulations dating back to the Reagan administration allowed park visitors to carry firearms as long... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
California Restaurant Chain Rejects Gun Lobby Pressure, Bans Guns
Associated Press
13 February 2010
WALNUT CREEK, California - A California restaurant chain is banning the display of guns after about 100 men carrying unloaded weapons gathered at its Walnut Creek location east of San Francisco. Buckhorn Grill had agreed to host the meeting of Open Carry advocates earlier this month. The group wants to change California law to make it easier to carry loaded guns in public. John Pickerel, owner of the seven-restaurant chain,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Judge's Ruling Ends Seattle's Short-lived Ban on Guns in City Parks
Seattle Times
12 February 2010
The rule banning firearms in Seattle parks was tossed out Friday by King County Superior Court Judge Catherine Shaffer, who said the city cannot pre-empt state law. The city now has 30 days to remove the 116 metal signs, which are about 1 by 1-½ feet in size and show a handgun inside a red circle, with a red line crossing out the gun. In all-capital letters there is the warning: "FIREARMS PROHIBITED." Assistant City Attorney... ( gunpolicy.org )
Guatemala
Climate of Insecurity Prompts More Guatemalan Women to Carry Guns
Tico Times (Costa Rica)
11 February 2010
The climate of insecurity in Guatemala is forcing women to arm themselves to protect themselves and their families, the Central American nation's state newspaper, Diario de Centroamerica, reported Monday. The official newspaper said an increasing number of women of different professions are acquiring weapons and registering them with Guatemala's Arms and Munitions Control Office. Some 9,200 weapons have been registered... ( gunpolicy.org )
Thailand,North Korea
Thailand Drops Charges Against Crew of Plane Carrying N. Korean Arms
SEESAC (Belgrade) / Choson Ilbo (Seoul), Web page
11 February 2010
Thai prosecutors have dropped charges against the crew of a plane carrying North Korean weapons despite United Nations resolutions that bar Pyongyang from selling arms. The Attorney General's office in Thailand said Thursday [ 11 February] it will not prosecute the five-man crew, whose plane stopped in Bangkok with 35 tons of North Korean weapons on board. Thai authorities say the men - one from Belarus and four from Kazakhstan... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Virginia Senate Approves Sweeping Relaxation of Hidden Handgun Rules
Richmond Times-Dispatch (Virginia)
11 February 2010
Virginia's drinking establishments soon may be open for business to a new clientele -- people carrying concealed guns. The Courts of Justice Committee of the state Senate yesterday narrowly approved legislation that will enable holders of concealed-guns permits to take their firearms into restaurants that serve alcohol. The committee also approved legislation that would allow people without concealed-guns permits to stow... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Arizona University Students Debate Hot Issue of Hidden Handguns in Class
Wildcat (Arizona)
10 February 2010
Approximately 50 students and faculty members stood up to express their views regarding guns on campus at last night's public forum hosted by the Associated Students of the University of Arizona. People gathered in the Santa Rita Ballroom of the Student Union Memorial Center at 7 p.m. last night. ASUA senators and Executive Vice President Emily Fritze sat at a long, horizontal table looking out into the crowd of eager forum... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Illegal Guns Found 7 Times This School Year in Just One Louisiana Parish
Advocate (Louisiana)
10 February 2010
A 13-year-old sixth-grade student at Westdale Middle School was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of bringing a loaded gun onto campus Monday and threatening to shoot another student, law enforcement authorities said. The arrest marks the seventh time this school year that a gun has been found on school property, said Casey Rayborn Hicks, a spokeswoman with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office. In the Westdale Middle... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
Philippine Election Gun Ban Yields More Arrests for Illegal Firearms
Panay News (Philippines)
10 February 2010
SAN JOSE, Antique -- The effective implementation of the Antique Police Provincial Office (APPO) of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) gun ban has yielded positive results. APPO Information Officer PO3 Rodelio B. Canja said that from January 10 to 28, three persons were arrested and one is at-large. Confiscated on separate operations were five high-powered fire arms, two fragmentation hand grenades, two bladed weapons... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
US Gun Control Group Petitions Starbucks to Ban Customers Carrying Guns
CBS News (USA)
10 February 2010
A national pro-gun-control organization wants Starbucks to take a firm stance on whether it allows customers to carry unconcealed firearms in its stores. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence wants its members to sign a petition telling the international coffee company to keep guns out of its locations, according to The Seattle Times. The petition has more than 15,000 signatures, the newspaper reported. The petition... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
New Hampshire Gun Owner Defies Wife-abuse Firearm Ban, Loses Licence
Union Leader (New Hampshire)
9 February 2010
GOFFSTOWN - A New Boston man at the center of a gun battle between a Manchester firing range and the New Boston Police escaped contempt charges in Goffstown District Court on Monday, but was ordered to relinquish his hunting and concealed weapons permits. Michael Murphy, 37, was supposed to give up the licenses on Jan. 27, when his wife, Paula Murphy, won a domestic violence temporary protection order against him. That... ( gunpolicy.org )
Australia
Australian Teen Threatens Woman with Shotgun for Driving on High Beam
Herald Sun (Melbourne)
8 February 2010
A man has threatened a teenage driver with a shotgun after she mistakenly drove with her headlights on high beam in the New South Wales Hunter Valley. The 17-year-old girl was unaware she had her headlights on high beam as she was driving on Aberglasslyn Rd, Rutherford, in the Hunter Valley about 10.20pm on Saturday. Police say the ute driver in front of her changed lanes and began following her car, before they both pulled... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Lawmakers Duel Over Merits of Guns in Texas State Capitol: Safe or Silly?
Wall Street Journal
8 February 2010
Lawmakers in firearm-friendly Texas are embroiled in a debate over how to make the state Capitol safer: get rid of guns or encourage even more. The discussion comes after a man last month fired several shots on the steps of the towering Capitol in Austin. State troopers tackled him and no one was wounded, but the incident spotlighted a predicament for lawmakers in a state where carrying handguns is not only legal but largely cherished.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Maine Aims to Ban Hidden Handguns in Parks, Declare Gun Free Zones
Bangor Daily News (Maine), Editorial
8 February 2010
A bill now before the Legislature would restore the decades-old policies regulating guns in Acadia National Park, the St. Croix International Historic Site and the state's portion of the Appalachian Trail. Specifically, it would require gun owners to keep their weapons unloaded, broken down and stowed away in vehicle trunks, glove boxes or other such compartments. LD 1737 should be passed, and legislators should not allow it to turn into... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
Soldiers, Police Among 704 Arrested for Carrying Guns in Philippine Poll
Sun Star (Philippines)
8 February 2010
A police report said another gun ban violator was arrested Friday at a Commission on Elections (Comelec) checkpoint. Police Chief Inspector Romeo Leyte, police chief of Isabela said combined elements of Isabela Philippine National Police (IPNP) and the Alpha Company of the 11th Infantry Battalion arrested Richard Dela Torre, 34, for possessing a caliber 45 pistol. Leyte said Dela Torre was a resident of Barangay Guintubdan... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida Sheriffs Run Hidden Handgun Class to Raise Cash for Shot Officer
ABC News (USA)
6 February 2010
The Levy County Sheriff Office is raising awareness and money for the family of a fallen law enforcement officer. The sheriff's office raised money for the family of Chad Reed, a Dixie County sheriff captain, who lost his life during a shootout with John Kalisz, a man accused of shooting four women and killing two of them in January. The Levy County Sheriff's Office hosted a pistol class to educate people how to properly fire a... ( gunpolicy.org )
Netherlands
Dutch Police, 500 Nightclubs Trial 'Drop Vaults' for Illegal Guns, Drugs
Radio Netherlands Worldwide
5 February 2010
Five hundred nightclubs and cafés in the Netherlands will be fitted with vaults where visitors can drop off their illegal weapons and drugs anonymously. Police will keep the keys to the vaults and will regularly open them to confiscate the contents. The vaults are a project of Justice Minister Ernst Hirsch Ballinn who will officially install the first such receptacle in a bar in the town of Loosdrecht on Friday. Mr Hirsch Ballin... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Florida's Slack Hidden Handgun Permit System Arms Philadelphia Felons
Philadelphia Daily News
5 February 2010
Imagine having your driver's license revoked in Pennsylvania but then being able to get one in Florida - through the mail - that must then be honored here. Now imagine it happens with guns. Because it does. Pennsylvania residents who are denied a license to carry a concealed weapon, or have theirs revoked, have found a loophole that allows them to get a license from another state that must be honored here. "They... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Starbucks Supports Gun Lobby, Allows Firearms In American Coffee Shops
Contra Costa Times (California)
5 February 2010
Starbucks has brushed aside a request from a gun control advocacy group to ban the display of guns in its retail locations, saying it will abide by laws that allow patrons to openly carry unloaded weapons. The national Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence made the request in the wake of a series of meetings in local restaurants over the past few months by Bay Area Open Carry, a group that hopes to make it legal to carry loaded... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Campaign to Allow Guns on US Appalachian Trail 'Unnecessary, Bad Idea'
Bangor Daily News (Maine)
4 February 2010
AUGUSTA, Maine -- Lawmakers heard testimony Wednesday on a proposal to reimpose restrictions on guns within Acadia National Park and along the Appalachian Trail in Maine in response to Congress' controversial decision to lift long-standing limits on firearms. Last year, Congress passed a law authorizing visitors to carry guns -- both concealed and carried openly -- in national parks. Congress passed the law after a federal judge... ( gunpolicy.org )
Lebanon
High Demand for Guns, Lebanon's 'AK-47 Index' May Be Pointing to War
National (Abu Dhabi)
3 February 2010
BEIRUT - Abu Mahdi spends most of his day sitting in a plastic chair in front of a dilapidated concrete block shack on the outskirts of Beirut's southern suburbs puffing on a water pipe and pouring coffee for a steady stream of visitors and customers that have come to examine his inventory. Two of his first customers on a cold winter morning are young fighters in their late teens from the militant Shiite movement Hizbollah who are... ( gunpolicy.org )
Philippines
Police, Soldiers Among 600 Arrested for Violating Philippine Poll Gun Ban
GMA TV News (Manila)
3 February 2010
More than 600 people have been arrested in the first month of the Commission on Elections' implementation of the gun ban for this year's May elections, the Philippine National Police said on Wednesday. PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said that as of 8 a.m. Wednesday, they have arrested 607 people, 45 of them policemen and 25 of them soldiers and the rest are civilians. "As of the present naka-gather tayo... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Arizona Mulls Dropping Training, Background Checks for Hidden Handguns
Daily Sun (Arizona) / Capitol Media Services
2 February 2010
PHOENIX, Arizona - A Senate panel agreed Monday that any Arizona adult should be able to carry a concealed weapon without special training or background check. The 4-3 vote would create a major loophole in the existing laws that require those who want to have a hidden weapon to undergo special training. This includes classes on when people can legally use deadly force as well as marksmanship. And it also requires a background... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hidden Handgun Permit Scam Puts Ohio Firearm Instructor, Cohort in Jail
Toledo Blade (Ohio)
2 February 2010
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- Two Wood County men who profited from issuing concealed weapon permits without requiring applicants to take the required training were sentenced Monday in Wood County Common Pleas Court. Judge Reeve Kelsey ordered Jason Hernandez, 38, of Perrysburg Township to spend 45 days in the Wood County jail, pay a $2,000 fine, perform 200 hours of community service, and spend two years on community control. The judge... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Licensed Boston Hidden Handgun Owner Shoots His Daughter, Wife, Self
Boston Herald
2 February 2010
A Westford cheerleader told a 911 dispatcher "there isn't a problem," and moments later was shot dead by her dad last night in a tragic triple shooting, authorities said today Brian Marchand, 59, took his own life but not before killing his girl, Olivia, 17, and severely wounding his wife, Jody, 50, in their Westford home, authorities announced. "It's unspeakable. Unimaginable domestic violence tragedy," said Middlesex... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Utah Gun Owners Should Be Allowed to Brandish a Firearm When Scared
Salt Lake Tribune (Utah), Editorial
2 February 2010
Utah law allows a person to threaten or use force against someone in self-defense, that is, to protect himself or another person from the imminent use of illegal force. Rep. Stephen Sandstrom, R-Orem, wants to make it legal for the person under immediate threat of illegal force to show a gun or tell his assailant that he has a gun. Why not? Showing a weapon might deter violence. Or, it might escalate the violence. It depends. But... ( gunpolicy.org )
India
Lobby Groups Mobilise as Indian Gun Owners Imagine 'Right to Bear Arms'
Washington Post
1 February 2010
In the land of Mahatma Gandhi, Indian gun owners are coming out of the shadows for the first time to mobilize, U.S.-style, against proposed new curbs on bearing arms. When gunmen attacked 10 sites in Mumbai in November 2008, including two five-star hotels and a train station, Mumbai resident Kumar Verma sat at home glued to the television, feeling outraged and unsafe. Before the end of December, Verma and his friends had... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
NRA Member Moves to Allow Hidden Handguns in Indianapolis City Parks
Indianapolis Star (Indiana)
1 February 2010
INDIANAPOLIS - A proposal to allow guns in Indianapolis parks will go before the City-County Council Monday, a measure its sponsor admits will be controversial. Current law bans weapons in city parks, but they are permitted in state parks and will soon be allowed in national parks, 6News' Joanna Massee reported. If passed, the law would allow anyone with a permit to carry a weapon to do so in a city park. City-County... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
47 US States Roll Back Law, in National Trend to Even Looser Gun Control
Associated Press
30 January 2010
PHOENIX -- Arizona's permissive gun laws gained national attention last year when a man openly carried an AR-15 rifle to a protest outside a speech by President Obama. Now, gun rights advocates are hoping for even fewer restrictions on where they can have a firearm. Among their top goals is to make Arizona the third state where it is legal to carry a concealed weapon without a permit. Bills in the House and the Senate would also... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Despite Mass Shootings, Pro-gun Bills Continue to Sprout in Virginia
Associated Press
30 January 2010
APPOMATTOX, Virginia - It wasn't unusual for security guard Christopher Speight to build a shooting range on his sprawling property in this rural part of Virginia. And it wasn't out of the ordinary for him to amass a small arsenal of weapons -- from a 9 mm pistol to military-style assault rifles. His daily target practice sessions, which sometimes spilled into the night, didn't concern his neighbors. This is gun country,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hidden Handgun Permit Holder Shoots, Kills her Son's Ex in Utah Carpark
Associated Press
30 January 2010
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - A 70-year-old woman shot and killed her former daughter-in-law in the parking lot of the preschool where the young teacher worked, Utah police said Saturday. Mary Nance Hanson is accused of firing multiple shots into the car of Tetyana Nikitina, 34, as she prepared to leave Friday from the Salt Lake Community Action Program Head Start school. Police said the suspect called 911 and was waiting at the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Drug Dealers Tool Up with Handguns, Threaten Police in Massachusetts
Eagle-Tribune (Massachusetts)
29 January 2010
HAVERHILL, Massachusetts -- They used to be relatively routine arrests. Police would get a tip from a neighbor that a man was dealing drugs out of his apartment -- not big sales, just enough to be a nuisance in the neighborhood. Officers would raid the apartment, seize the drugs, and arrest the man without a struggle. Case closed. Not anymore. Police said those cases have become more dangerous and complex for the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
California Man Wore Handgun Into Store, 'Didn't Think it Out,' Apologised
San Jose Mercury News (California)
28 January 2010
A man apparently inspired by a news report on Open Carry gun activists strolled into an East Palo Alto supermarket with a handgun on his hip Wednesday and began shopping for groceries, police said. The store manager at Mi Pueblo Food Center in the Ravenswood 101 shopping complex alerted police after patrons became frightened, said East Palo Alto police Sgt. Roderick Norris. About four officers responded and found the man... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Lawmakers Wade Into Vast Overhaul, Relaxation of Georgia Gun Law
Associated Press
28 January 2010
College presidents and student leaders bristled at a proposal Wednesday that would allow some gun owners to carry firearms on college campuses as legislators waded deeper into a vast overhaul of state gun restrictions. The broad legislation would for the first time allow the estimated 300,000 Georgians with gun permits to carry their weapons in most public buildings, churches and even the state Capitol. It would also lift a ban... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
California Schoolboy, Gang Member Wounded in Campus Shooting
San Francisco Chronicle
27 January 2010
SAN BRUNO, California - A Skyline College student who was shot and wounded at the San Bruno campus last year has been convicted of a gun violation, a prosecutor said today. Eric Brewer, 20, pleaded no contest Tuesday in San Mateo County Superior Court to a felony charge of carrying a loaded firearm in a public place. Judge Susan Etezadi placed him on three years of probation and gave him credit for time served in jail, about nine... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Colorado University Faces Fight for Banning Hidden Handguns on Campus
Denver Post (Colorado)
27 January 2010
A gun-rights group says it will fight Colorado State University's proposal to ban concealed weapons on the Fort Collins and Pueblo campuses. Rocky Mountain Gun Owners, which is based in Fort Collins, claims the gun ban is a clear violation of Colorado law. On Monday, the group will announce its protest plans, which may include legal action. "We are certainly going to pursue every opportunity to not let CSU wag its little... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Landslide Indiana Vote Approves Firearms, Hidden Handguns at Workplace
South Bend Tribune (Indiana)
26 January 2010
INDIANAPOLIS -- State senators were forced to choose between property rights and gun rights Monday, and the latter won in a landslide. The Senate voted 41-9 to approve a bill that would make it illegal for employers in Indiana to adopt policies that prohibit workers from having firearms in their locked vehicles on company property. The bill's sponsor, Sen. Johnny Nugent, R-Lawrenceburg, told his colleagues on the Senate... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Another US Basketball Hero Pleads Guilty to Guns in the Locker Room
Associated Press
25 January 2010
WASHINGTON - Washington Wizards guard Javaris Crittenton pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor gun charge Monday, explaining he had a pistol because he feared teammate Gilbert Arenas would shoot him or blow up his car after the two argued over a card game. The hearing marked the first time authorities confirmed Crittenton was the other player involved in the confrontation with Arenas, who pleaded guilty Jan. 15 to a felony gun charge.... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Gun Lobby Fights to Conceal Hidden Handgun Permit Abuse in Indiana
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette (Indiana), Editorial
25 January 2010
Americans are familiar with the gun lobby's influence in Congress, but many Hoosiers may not know their own state legislators are being pressured to pass two pro-gun bills that would ill-serve Indiana. Both proposals have passed the pro-gun House Natural Resources Committee, which includes Rep. Richard Dodge of Pleasant Lake. Both advance narrow pro-gun interests at the expense of sound public policy and the overall safety interests... ( gunpolicy.org )
New Zealand
NZ Police Union Boss Blames 'Nostalgia' for Opposition to Armed Cops
New Zealand Herald, Editorial
25 January 2010
The Police Association did not welcome the result of a poll we published recently. It found a clear majority, 65 per cent, of 2296 sampled Herald readers did not want the police to routinely carry firearms. They were content with current practice that uses specially armed squads to deal with incidents involving guns. The association president, Greg O'Connor, said this "nostalgic" view was now unrealistic. He was referring to the... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Partisan 'Battle' as Protestors Wear Guns in New Hampshire Statehouse
Portsmouth Herald (New Hampshire) / AP
24 January 2010
For New Hampshire lawmakers who support a ban on handguns and other deadly weapons at the Statehouse, a defining moment came last March 4 when the House voted down a resolution affirming "states' rights based on Jeffersonian principles." A group of about 15 supporters of the resolution were carrying handguns in the House gallery and heckling lawmakers who had their backs turned to the gallery. Also, a group of visiting school children... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Pennsylvania Judge Returned Gun to Abuser Who Used it to Kill Trooper
Tribune-Review (Pittsburgh)
24 January 2010
When a Venango County judge returned a rifle to a man who completed probation on a stalking charge more than a decade ago, state law contained no restrictions to prevent it. Pennsylvania State Police officials last week said they intended to investigate why then-President Judge H. William White ordered a .30-.30 rifle returned to Michael Smith in November 2000. Smith used that rifle to fatally shoot Trooper Paul Richey,... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Many Guns, 'Enlightened' Pro-gun Laws Make Texas Safer, Says Governor
Associated Press
22 January 2010
AUSTIN, Texas -- Governor Rick Perry said Friday that Texans should not be subject to more government intervention and security measures after a gunman opened fire at an entry to the Texas Capitol and that the state's "enlightened" approach to gun rights helps to keep citizens safe. "In Texas, criminals have to think twice before they draw a gun because there's a good chance they're going to be outnumbered," Perry said, as he accepted... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Mentally Ill Hidden Handgun Permit Holder Killed 8 Family in Virginia
Associated Press
22 January 2010
APPOMATTOX, Virginia - There was no school the next day, so 15-year-old Emily Quarles had a friend sleep over. As she and her mother took the friend home the next morning, they became targets for a rampaging gunman. When Emily's father and boyfriend went looking for them, they were slain too. Police say Emily and her parents, Jonathan and Karen Quarles, and her boyfriend, 16-year-old Ronnie "Bo" Scruggs, were among eight people... ( gunpolicy.org )
United States
Hidden Handgun Permit Holder Shoots, Kills Sister, 7 Others in Virginia
Washington Post
21 January 2010
APPOMATTOX, Virginia -- Christopher Bryan Speight described himself in court papers as a dependable, hardworking person who was not quick to anger, and he showed pride in his ability to "find ways to get out of problems without using force or violence." Friends, in letters in support of his successful 1995 application for a concealed weapons permit, called him "an upstanding, Christian young man" and "very mature and responsible."... ( gunpolicy.org )
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